Mega Python vs. Gatoroid

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (2011)

** (out of 4)

Another SyFy cheapie has Terry (Deborah Gibson), a snake lover, breaking into a lab and releasing several pythons so that they can find their freedom. Later on down the road the Florida Everglades are in trouble because the alligator population is dying and it appears they're being killed by large pythons. To return nature to its original course, the sheriff (Tiffany) gives the gators some steroids so that they'll grow and kill the pythons. The latest in the MEGA and VS. titles that SyFy seem to loved, this one here fits the bill for what one would want in a "B" movie. Those in the 50s had I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN and today's generation is greeted with stuff like MEGA PYTHON VS. GATOROID. It's sad but I guess it needs to be said but if you're expecting or wanting some sort of high art film then I'd recommend you go watch something by Kurosawa. You're certainly not going to witness anything ground breaking or Oscar-worthy but that's okay. If you're wanting a campy film full of silly moments then this will be just for you. Overall I had a decent time with the film and I can't help but give a lot of the credit to Tiffany and Gibson. Neither one will be picking up an Oscar anytime soon but I must admit that I enjoyed seeing them together even when their earlier SyFy films really didn't work. The two are obviously having fun together and the big cat fight between the two was actually quite funny. Not only to they break things, throw punches and roll around but they also get to rub cake on each others breasts, which I'm sure will have fans eating up. The two fit their roles good enough and neither give a "good" performance so we get some rather funny moments including the scene where Gibson is crying over her dead boyfriend yet I never once spotted a tear. I'm glad neither actress tried to pretend they were in some "A" production as it's clear both of them know they're doing something campy and they deliver the goods for this type of film. We even get a pretty funny bit where the dialogue between the two is actually from Tiffany's hit single back in the day. Director Lambert actually does a decent job with the material as she never lets things get too slow or boring, which is pretty much all you can ask for in a film like this. The one thing that I would say is that the CGI effects appear to be getting worse with each passing film and I'm starting to wonder if they're doing it on purpose or not. I really wish they'd try to have a bit more imagination so that these horrid effects wouldn't have to be used as much.

In the Florida Everglades, animal rights activist Debbie Gibson (as Nikki Riley) appears to kidnap caged snakes and return them to the wild. "That woman's got a thing for snakes," notes one redneck. She is the opposite of park ranger Tiffany (as Terry O'Hara), who sees the snakes as a threat to local wildlife and orders hunters to kill them all. Debbie wants them to let nature take care of the problem. Tiffany wants to help nature along. The snakes eat alligators, so Tiffany decides to feed steroid-injected chickens to the alligators. When one eats the other, they should all die. Instead, they mutate into monsters. None of it makes much sense. Even before being fed bad chicken, the snakes get big and start attacking people, like Tiffany's cute boyfriend...

Debbie blames Tiffany...

Tiffany blames Debbie...

Former daytime TV star A Martinez (as Diego Ortiz) arrives to help. He is a scientist, reptile expert and pilot...

Alarmed by the size and viciousness of the alligators, Mr. Martinez wants to stop a local fund-raiser. Forgetting all about her friends being killed, Tiffany wants the event to go on as scheduled. Meanwhile, Debbie sees a friend eaten alive. You'll have to see if they can put aside their differences for diva friendly director Mary Lambert, and save the park. Tiffany and Debbie were pop recording stars in the 1980s and each contributes a new song to the story. Appropriately, the songs are snake-themed. The Monkees' drummer and lead singer Micky Dolenz is a special treat. But the best part is watching a knock-down, drag-out fight between the co-starring singers, especially when Debbie straddles Tiffany and applies cake frosting to her cleavage.

*** Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (1/29/11) Mary Lambert ~ Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, A Martinez, Kathryn Joosten

I like to watch movies with bad CGI, but this was horrible.

The Mega Python and Gatoroid are supposed to fight, not team up on Tiffany and Deborah Gibson and A Martinez.And whats up with all the babies, Biting, Screaming, Scrathing and thats just the GIRLS, you said that movie producer, you said that.And we don't give a **** about Tiffany and Deborah Gibsons cat fights, bring out the monsters! Alright, lets cut to the chase, the plot is good, the acting was O.K, the CGI, no.Violence was very good, but the dialogue was stupid!But the movie was a LOT better than The Terminators (he,he).

I would recommend this to any B- movie lovers so you better watch it, movie nerds, watch it.

OK. Debbie Gibson. Tiffany. Mutant creatures. Cheese acting. Cat fight between Debbie and Tiffany. Total crap as far as "good" movie standards go. However, if you're into crap sci-fi movies, and you are old enough to remember these girls from the eighties and being superstars, its a great watch. Perfect for killing some time or putting on to doze off to if you have a TV by where you sleep and need something to watch and listen to while you drift off. I seriously don't know why some of these movie snobs bother to watch these movies just to criticize. I know what good movies are, and I like good movies. This isn't a good movie. Its a movie for people who like bad movies, or just bad movie trash to doze off to at 2AM. Its great as far as that goes and I hope they never stop pumping out cheap readily available movies like this for those of us that just need something kinda funny/amusing to kill some time with. Also, Jack Frost (the horror movie with a killer snowman) is great in that regard. There's a second one as well. Also, Santa's Slay...awesomeness!

As I have said many times, I have made no secret of disliking most of SyFy's output. I kind of knew that Mega Python vs. Gataroid was going to be bad, and it was. However, because the concept was intriguing, it started off alright and because Deborah Gibson and Tiffany were decent, it is not as unwatchable as something like Quantum Apocalypse, Alien vs vs. Hunter or Titanic II.

The special effects are crude-looking and in my opinion not used very well, as the film is often very silly and lacking in tension and atmosphere, while the camera work and editing are slapdash. As I said, Mega Python vs Gataroid has a good concept, it starts off well and has a quite enjoyable scene involving a meeting to save the everglades, but the sillier it gets the more meandering the storytelling becomes. The film is rushed, too short, has some really absurd dialogue and the acting excepting the two leads is painful especially from Micky Dolenz.

Overall, although it is a bad movie, I can't bring myself to entirely hate it. 3/10 Bethany Cox